Extraction and purification of PCR amplifiable DNA from lacustrine subsurface sediments

Abstract

An extraction procedure which recovers high quality DNA from microbial communities in lacustrine type sediments has been developed. This method employs direct lysis of cells in an agarose-sediment mixture, electroelution of community DNA, followed by ammonium acetate precipitation for further purification. The extracted community DNA was found to be suitable for PCR amplification with 16S rRNA gene-specific primers when T4 gene 32 protein was present in amplification reactions.